How Much Computer Memory Is Good?
December 29th, 2006 | by computermemory |
traumaqueen22 asked:
I have a Toshiba laptop and I was wondering how much memory is considered a decent amount?
What is the difference between GB, MB, RAM, etc?
Also, is there any way to make a refurbished computer faster?
FERNANDO
I have a Toshiba laptop and I was wondering how much memory is considered a decent amount?
What is the difference between GB, MB, RAM, etc?
Also, is there any way to make a refurbished computer faster?
FERNANDO
9 Responses to “How Much Computer Memory Is Good?”
By What You Know Bout That on Dec 30, 2006 | Reply
GB is Gigabytes
MB is Megabytes 1,000 Megabytes are 1 Gigbyte
RAM is Random Access Memory that is used when you open all your applications.
Well what is required to make your computer to run faster is to not install vista at all.If you follow that tip you should be fine.
A good amount of RAM is about 512Mb is good enough just remember stay away from vista and norton antivirus then your good.
By Billy James on Dec 30, 2006 | Reply
although a 2gb limit is suggested… its not always a matter of how much ram… the latency and speed are more important factors to consider.
As far as the referb machine goes… make sure that you have scanned for spyware and adware also browser helper object, configure your services so that unneeded ones arnt consuming your resources (http://www.blackviper.com)
By Christian S on Dec 31, 2006 | Reply
1 GB is 1,024 MB, and 1 MB is 1,024 KB. For a laptop, anywhere over 100 GB for a hard drive is considered good.
RAM means Random Access Memory, read more on it here.
And I’m not sure about the refurbished question.
By aerigos on Jan 1, 2007 | Reply
ok so if you have windows vista you want a min of 1 gb but 2-4 would be ideal if xp then 1-2gb is good a gb is a gigabyte it is 1024 mb(megabytes) which is 1024 kb(kilabytes) which is the 1024 bytes bytes are your base unit of measurement in storage space on a computer ram is a term for memeory which means random access memory you asked for memory not hd space so keep that in mind if you were looking for hd space then you want about 200gb anymore
By fps_jordan on Jan 3, 2007 | Reply
What Operating System are you planning on using? For XP, 1GB is plenty but 2GB is best. For Vista, you should really have a minimum of 2GB RAM.
1MB = 1,024 KB or 1 million bytes
1GB = 1,024 MB or about 1 billion bytes
RAM = Random Access Memory which is memory used by programs to load data so that programs load faster than from directly reading the hard drive.
By alex_pof87 on Jan 5, 2007 | Reply
a GB is a unit to measure storage and it equals 1024MB. ram is a short term memory that your computer uses to run applications and other processes. if you have to little your computer will have to use your hard drive as well which is much slower which creates some of the lagging that your computer does. right now most computers come with 1-4GB of ram. if you are running vista the minimum requirement is 1GB and if you are running XP the minimum is 512 MB.
if you want to make your computer faster you could upgrade your processor or ram but i am assuming that you wnat to do it for free so i would start by defragging your disk. to do this in xp go to control panel then Performance and Maintenance then rearrange items on your hard disk.
By Brendon B on Jan 7, 2007 | Reply
Let me explain this basically
Your computer has a Hard Drive, this is where all data is stored, but the computer can’t read it in this state, when the computer needs information from the hard drive it the processor takes it from the hard drive and puts it in the RAM, where your computer can access it directly and how much information your RAM can hold is your Memory, the higher it is the more programs you can run at one time, 512 Megabytes (MB) is simple enough for the avergage Windows XP user, Vista however takes up much more and you may need up to 2 Gigabytes (GB) to get a decent performance
Making a computer faster would require increasing your RAM, and getting a better processor both influence speed
By senthil n on Jan 9, 2007 | Reply
The answer really depends on how much and for what your system is used. Upgrading is easy and cost effective. RAM is used every time you open an application, download, play a game or simply turn on your computer. Additionally if you work with or plan to work with digital audio and video more ram is a necessity.
Novice User / Administrative
If you use your computer to send and receive email, do a little word processing, and are starting to surf the Web, you can get by with 64MB. However, you would benefit from going to at least 128MB of memory.
Basic User
If you are spending more time surfing the internet, sending and receiving email, and doing word processing along with other applications, you can get by with 128MB, but would benefit from going to 256MB.
Professional / Feel the need for Speed!
If you are running multiple business applications, want to play the newer video games and/or work with graphics, you can get by with 256MB, but your computer speed would benefit greatly by having 512MB.
Advanced Professional
If you work with high-end graphics, CAD software, digital images, or video, you can get by with 256MB, but would benefit greatly by installing 512MB of memory or more. Right now our 512MB memory modules are available at incredibly low prices.
Graphics Design Professional
If you are, or plan to be, a professional graphics designer, use CAD or modeling software, digital images or video, you can get by with 512MB, but would benefit from going to 1GB of memory or more.
Gaming rig??
Ahhhh. Here’s the point of all this tech talk. For a gaming rig, how much is enough? Well, before this article, I would have said, anything over 128Mb. We’ll see if that’s my opinion at the end, although I do recommend instead of skipping to the end, you read what I have to say, because there’s some twists to this article that might interest you.
Test System
Below is the system that was used in this article, along with any other important information.
Intel Pentium 3 800Mhz
Hercules Prophet SDR (GeForce 256)
Abit BX6 Rv. 2.0 Motherboard
Microsoft Windows 2000 SP2 Operating System
Test Programs: Quake 3 Arena, 3Dmark 2000
Let me explain some things. I believe the Windows 9x series is now defunct. Windows XP is the future, and the Windows 2000 core is the closest thing I have to to XP, so that’s why 2000 was used in this review. Also, Windows 2000 has the best memory handling of all the current Windows OS’s. Add in there: total stability, and supreme control over the OS, and you’ve got all my reasons. The reason Quake 3 is used, is because it’s a very taxing program on a system like mine, and it’s very easy to benchmark. 3Dmark 2000 was used because 2001 is made for next-gen video cards, and by using 2000 there’s more discrepancy between results, making them easier to apply to an article.
Now, the benchmarks.
Benchmarks
By Giving Hope on Jan 11, 2007 | Reply
Q: How Much Computer Memory Is Good?
A: For XP, you should have a minimum of 512MB of RAM for optimum performance. For vista, you need a minimum of 2048MB of RAM for optimum performance.
Q: What is the difference between GB, MB, RAM, etc?
A: GB = 1000MB, 1MB = 1000KB. 1KB = 1000 BYTES. They’re different units of bytes.
Q: Also, is there any way to make a refurbished computer faster?
A: Possible causes of a slow computer:
1. Virus, trojan, spyware, or any other form of malware. These pesky little things can ruin your computer.
2. Fragmented hard drive. Use Microsoft’s Disk Defragmenter to defrag your hard drive. This will make it easier for your hard drive to access data.
3. You can junk in your computer. Remove these programs that you don’t even need.
4. Sometimes, running multiple antiviruses or antispyware can cause a severe performance problem. Its recommended to stick with 1 antivirus and 1 antispyware, no more than that.
5. Low RAM. Upgrading RAM can speed up your computer.
6. registry can also have alot of junk too. Try using Ccleaner and clean the registry. Don’t worry, this step only takes seconds!
Some neat programs to run (free):
1. AVG antivirus or Avast antivirus (If you dont have an antivirus)
2. Ad-aware, spybot search & destroy, superantispyware. In this case, its very effective to use all 3.
3. Microsoft disk defragmenter. (windows comes with it)
4. Ccleaner. Good registry cleaner + other cleaners!
5. Add or Remove Programs. (can be found in your control panel, it can be your best friend if you have alot of junky programs on your computer)
Q: Giving Hope! I did everything above and my computer is still slow! HELP!
A: Okay… so you did everything. Now, you already made your computer as fast as possible with that much ram. Usually, adding more RAM speeds up your computer ALOT. If you got 2 gigs or higher, adding more isnt really gonna help. If you have 256mb or 512mb, or anything below 2GB, then adding more ram will definitely boost your computer. Visit and scan for your computer. It will tell you what kind of RAM to buy.